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Sloss EA, Jones TL, Baker K, Robins JLW, Thacker LR. Factors Influencing Medication Administration Outcomes Among New Graduate Nurses Using Bar Code-Assisted Medication Administration. Comput Inform Nurs 2024; 42:199-206. [PMID: 38206171 PMCID: PMC10925919 DOI: 10.1097/cin.0000000000001083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Paramount to patient safety is the ability for nurses to make clinical decisions free from human error. Yet, the dynamic clinical environment in which nurses work is characterized by uncertainty, urgency, and high consequence, necessitating that nurses make quick and critical decisions. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of human and environmental factors on the decision to administer among new graduate nurses in response to alert generation during bar code-assisted medication administration. The design for this study was a descriptive, longitudinal, observational cohort design using EHR audit log and administrative data. The study was set at a large, urban medical center in the United States and included 132 new graduate nurses who worked on adult, inpatient units. Research variables included human and environmental factors. Data analysis included descriptive and inferential analyses. This study found that participants continued with administration of a medication in 90.75% of alert encounters. When considering the response to an alert, residency cohort, alert category, and previous exposure variables were associated with the decision to proceed with administration. It is important to continue to study factors that influence nurses' decision-making, particularly during the process of medication administration, to improve patient safety and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Sloss
- Author Affiliation: School of Nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University (Dr Sloss), Richmond; College of Nursing, University of Utah (Dr Sloss), Salt Lake City; Department of Adult Health and Nursing Systems, School of Nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University (Dr Jones and Robins), Richmond, Virginia; UVA Health (Dr Baker), Charlottesville, Virginia; and Department of Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University (Dr Thacker)
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Musser RC, Senior R, Havrilesky LJ, Buuck J, Casarett DJ, Ibrahim S, Davidson BA. Randomized Comparison of Electronic Health Record Alert Types in Eliciting Responses about Prognosis in Gynecologic Oncology Patients. Appl Clin Inform 2024; 15:204-211. [PMID: 38232748 PMCID: PMC10937092 DOI: 10.1055/a-2247-9355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To compare the ability of different electronic health record alert types to elicit responses from users caring for cancer patients benefiting from goals of care (GOC) conversations. METHODS A validated question asking if the user would be surprised by the patient's 6-month mortality was built as an Epic BestPractice Advisory (BPA) alert in three versions-(1) Required on Open chart (pop-up BPA), (2) Required on Close chart (navigator BPA), and (3) Optional Persistent (Storyboard BPA)-randomized using patient medical record number. Meaningful responses were defined as "Yes" or "No," rather than deferral. Data were extracted over 6 months. RESULTS Alerts appeared for 685 patients during 1,786 outpatient encounters. Measuring encounters where a meaningful response was elicited, rates were highest for Required on Open (94.8% of encounters), compared with Required on Close (90.1%) and Optional Persistent (19.7%) (p < 0.001). Measuring individual alerts to which responses were given, they were most likely meaningful with Optional Persistent (98.3% of responses) and least likely with Required on Open (68.0%) (p < 0.001). Responses of "No," suggesting poor prognosis and prompting GOC, were more likely with Optional Persistent (13.6%) and Required on Open (10.3%) than with Required on Close (7.0%) (p = 0.028). CONCLUSION Required alerts had response rates almost five times higher than optional alerts. Timing of alerts affects rates of meaningful responses and possibly the response itself. The alert with the most meaningful responses was also associated with the most interruptions and deferral responses. Considering tradeoffs in these metrics is important in designing clinical decision support to maximize success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Clayton Musser
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Health System, Durham, North Carolina, United States
- Duke Health Technology Solutions, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Rashaud Senior
- Duke Health Technology Solutions, Durham, North Carolina, United States
- Duke Primary Care, Duke University Health System, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Laura J. Havrilesky
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Health System, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Jordan Buuck
- Duke Health Technology Solutions, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - David J. Casarett
- Section of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, Duke University Health System, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Salam Ibrahim
- Duke Health Performance Services, Duke University Health System, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Brittany A. Davidson
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Health System, Durham, North Carolina, United States
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Hellewell J, Lindsay K, Nielsen K, Christensen E, Daley L, Jones K, Compagni K. Choice Architecture in Opioid Safety Alerting. AMIA ... ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS. AMIA SYMPOSIUM 2024; 2023:417-425. [PMID: 38222392 PMCID: PMC10785846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
The need for effective and efficient clinical decision support (CDS) embedded in electronic health record (EHR) processes is growing. Using choice architecture design strategies may increase effectiveness of CDS solutions. The authors describe implementation of an opioid risk alert and subsequent revisions of that alert to increase effectiveness and reduce alert volumes. The first version of the alert used an opt-in choice architecture when recommending naloxone and the second version used an active choice design. The percentage of opioid prescriptions ordered with naloxone prescribed within the last 12 months increased significantly after implementation of the first version of the alert and then further increased significantly after implementation of the second version. Alert volumes decreased over the same timeframe. An education campaign was also implemented during the timeframe studied and likely also contributed to the naloxone outcomes seen.
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Fallon A, Haralambides K, Mazzillo J, Gleber C. Addressing Alert Fatigue by Replacing a Burdensome Interruptive Alert with Passive Clinical Decision Support. Appl Clin Inform 2024; 15:101-110. [PMID: 38086417 PMCID: PMC10830237 DOI: 10.1055/a-2226-8144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recognizing that alert fatigue poses risks to patient safety and clinician wellness, there is a growing emphasis on evaluation and governance of electronic health record clinical decision support (CDS). This is particularly critical for interruptive alerts to ensure that they achieve desired clinical outcomes while minimizing the burden on clinicians. This study describes an improvement effort to address a problematic interruptive alert intended to notify clinicians about patients needing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID) precautions and how we collaborated with operational leaders to develop an alternative passive CDS system in acute care areas. OBJECTIVES Our dual aim was to reduce the alert burden by redesigning the CDS to adhere to best practices for decision support while also improving the percent of admitted patients with symptoms of possible COVID who had appropriate and timely infection precautions orders. METHODS Iterative changes to CDS design included adjustment to alert triggers and acknowledgment reasons and development of a noninterruptive rule-based order panel for acute care areas. Data on alert burden and appropriate precautions orders on symptomatic admitted patients were followed over time on run and attribute (p) and individuals-moving range control charts. RESULTS At baseline, the COVID alert fired on average 8,206 times per week with an alert per encounter rate of 0.36. After our interventions, the alerts per week decreased to 1,449 and alerts per encounter to 0.07 equating to an 80% reduction for both metrics. Concurrently, the percentage of symptomatic admitted patients with COVID precautions ordered increased from 23 to 61% with a reduction in the mean time between COVID test and precautions orders from 19.7 to -1.3 minutes. CONCLUSION CDS governance, partnering with operational stakeholders, and iterative design led to successful replacement of a frequently firing interruptive alert with less burdensome passive CDS that improved timely ordering of COVID precautions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Fallon
- Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States
| | - Kristina Haralambides
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States
| | - Justin Mazzillo
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States
| | - Conrad Gleber
- Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States
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Ledger TS, Brooke-Cowden K, Coiera E. Post-implementation optimization of medication alerts in hospital computerized provider order entry systems: a scoping review. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2023; 30:2064-2071. [PMID: 37812769 PMCID: PMC10654862 DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocad193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES A scoping review identified interventions for optimizing hospital medication alerts post-implementation, and characterized the methods used, the populations studied, and any effects of optimization. MATERIALS AND METHODS A structured search was undertaken in the MEDLINE and Embase databases, from inception to August 2023. Articles providing sufficient information to determine whether an intervention was conducted to optimize alerts were included in the analysis. Snowball analysis was conducted to identify additional studies. RESULTS Sixteen studies were identified. Most were based in the United States and used a wide range of clinical software. Many studies used inpatient cohorts and conducted more than one intervention during the trial period. Alert types studied included drug-drug interactions, drug dosage alerts, and drug allergy alerts. Six types of interventions were identified: alert inactivation, alert severity reclassification, information provision, use of contextual information, threshold adjustment, and encounter suppression. The majority of interventions decreased alert quantity and enhanced alert acceptance. Alert quantity decreased with alert inactivation by 1%-25.3%, and with alert severity reclassification by 1%-16.5% in 6 of 7 studies. Alert severity reclassification increased alert acceptance by 4.2%-50.2% and was associated with a 100% acceptance rate for high-severity alerts when implemented. Clinical errors reported in 4 studies were seen to remain stable or decrease. DISCUSSION Post-implementation medication optimization interventions have positive effects for clinicians when applied in a variety of settings. Less well reported are the impacts of these interventions on the clinical care of patients, and how endpoints such as alert quantity contribute to changes in clinician and pharmacist perceptions of alert fatigue. CONCLUSION Well conducted alert optimization can reduce alert fatigue by reducing overall alert quantity, improving clinical acceptance, and enhancing clinical utility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kalissa Brooke-Cowden
- Centre for Health Informatics, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Enrico Coiera
- Centre for Health Informatics, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
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Walker TR, Bochner RE, Alaiev D, Talledo J, Tsega S, Krouss M, Cho HJ. Reducing low-value ED coags across 11 hospitals in a safety net setting. Am J Emerg Med 2023; 73:88-94. [PMID: 37633078 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2023.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prothrombin/international normalized ratio and activated partial thromboplastin time (PT/INR and aPTT) are frequently ordered in emergency departments (EDs), but rarely affect management. They offer limited utility outside of select indications. Several quality improvement initiatives have shown reduction in ED use of PT/INR and aPTT using multifaceted interventions in well-resourced settings. Successful reduction of these low-value tests has not yet been shown using a single intervention across a large hospital system in a safety net setting. This study aims to determine if an intervention of two BPAs is associated with a reduction in PT/INR and aPTT usage across a large safety net system. METHODS This initiative was set at a large safety net system in the United States with 11 acute care hospitals. Two Best Practice Advisories (BPAs) discouraging inappropriate PT/INR and aPTT use were implemented from March 16, 2022-August 30, 2022. Order rate per 100 ED patients during the pre-intervention period was compared to the post-intervention period on both the system and individual hospital level. Complete blood count (CBC) testing served as a control, and packed red blood cell transfusions served as a balancing measure. An interrupted time series regression analysis was performed to capture immediate and temporal changes in ordering for all tests in the pre and post-intervention periods. RESULTS PT/INR tests exhibited an absolute decline of 4.11 tests per 100 ED encounters (95% confidence interval -5.17 to -3.05; relative reduction of 18.9%). aPTT tests exhibited absolute decline of 4.03 tests per 100 ED encounters (95% CI -5.10 to -2.97; relative reduction of 19.8%). The control measure, CBC, did not significantly change (-0.43, 95% CI -2.83 to 1.96). Individual hospitals showed variable response, with absolute reductions from 2.02 to 9.6 tests per 100 ED encounters for PT/INR (relative reduction 12.1%-30.5%) and 2.07 to 10.04 for aPTT (relative reduction 12.1%-31.4%). Regression analysis showed that the intervention caused an immediate 25.7% decline in PT/INR and 24.7% decline in aPTT tests compared to the control measure. The slope differences (rate of order increase pre vs post intervention) did not significantly decline compared to the control. CONCLUSIONS This BPA intervention reduced PT/INR and aPTT use across 11 EDs in a large, urban, safety net system. Further study is needed in implementation to other non-safety net settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talia R Walker
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, Department of Emergency Medicine, 234 E 149th Street, Bronx, NY 10451, United States of America.
| | - Risa E Bochner
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, Department of Pediatrics, 506 Lenox Ave, New York, NY 10037, United States of America.
| | - Daniel Alaiev
- NYC Health + Hospitals, Department of Quality & Safety, 50 Water Street, 16(th) Floor, New York, NY, United States of America.
| | - Joseph Talledo
- NYC Health + Hospitals, Department of Quality & Safety, 50 Water Street, 16(th) Floor, New York, NY, United States of America.
| | - Surafel Tsega
- NYC Health + Hospitals, Department of Quality & Safety, 50 Water Street, 16(th) Floor, New York, NY, United States of America; NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County, Department of Internal Medicine, 451 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11203, United States of America.
| | - Mona Krouss
- NYC Health + Hospitals, Department of Quality & Safety, 50 Water Street, 16(th) Floor, New York, NY, United States of America; NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, Department of Internal Medicine, 79-01 Broadway, Elmhurst, NY 11373, United States of America.
| | - Hyung J Cho
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Department of Quality & Safety, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America
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Ng HJH, Kansal A, Abdul Naseer JF, Hing WC, Goh CJM, Poh H, D’souza JLA, Lim EL, Tan G. Optimizing Best Practice Advisory alerts in electronic medical records with a multi-pronged strategy at a tertiary care hospital in Singapore. JAMIA Open 2023; 6:ooad056. [PMID: 37538232 PMCID: PMC10393867 DOI: 10.1093/jamiaopen/ooad056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Clinical decision support (CDS) alerts can aid in improving patient care. One CDS functionality is the Best Practice Advisory (BPA) alert notification system, wherein BPA alerts are automated alerts embedded in the hospital's electronic medical records (EMR). However, excessive alerts can change clinician behavior; redundant and repetitive alerts can contribute to alert fatigue. Alerts can be optimized through a multipronged strategy. Our study aims to describe these strategies adopted and evaluate the resultant BPA alert optimization outcomes. Materials and Methods This retrospective single-center study was done at Jurong Health Campus. Aggregated, anonymized data on patient demographics and alert statistics were collected from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021. "Preintervention" period was January 1-December 31, 2018, and "postintervention" period was January 1-December 31, 2021. The intervention period was the intervening period. Categorical variables were reported as frequencies and proportions and compared using the chi-square test. Continuous data were reported as median (interquartile range, IQR) and compared using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Statistical significance was defined at P < .05. Results There was a significant reduction of 59.6% in the total number of interruptive BPA alerts, despite an increase in the number of unique BPAs from 54 to 360 from pre- to postintervention. There was a 74% reduction in the number of alerts from the 7 BPAs that were optimized from the pre- to postintervention period. There was a significant increase in percentage of overall interruptive BPA alerts with action taken (8 [IQR 7.7-8.4] to 54.7 [IQR 52.5-58.9], P-value < .05) and optimized BPAs with action taken (32.6 [IQR 32.3-32.9] to 72.6 [IQR 64.3-73.4], P-value < .05). We estimate that the reduction in alerts saved 3600 h of providers' time per year. Conclusions A significant reduction in interruptive alert volume, and a significant increase in action taken rates despite manifold increase in the number of unique BPAs could be achieved through concentrated efforts focusing on governance, data review, and visualization using a system-embedded tool, combined with the CDS Five Rights framework, to optimize alerts. Improved alert compliance was likely multifactorial-due to decreased repeated alert firing for the same patient; better awareness due to stakeholders' involvement; and less fatigue since unnecessary alerts were removed. Future studies should prospectively focus on patients' clinical chart reviews to assess downstream effects of various actions taken, identify any possibility of harm, and collect end-user feedback regarding the utility of alerts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Jia Hui Ng
- Corresponding Author: Hannah Jia Hui Ng, MBBS, MRCS, Department of Medical Informatics, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, 1 Jurong East Street 21, Singapore 609606, Singapore;
| | - Amit Kansal
- Department of Medical Informatics, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Wee Chuan Hing
- Department of Medical Informatics, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Carmen Jia Man Goh
- Department of Medical Informatics, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hermione Poh
- Department of Medical Informatics, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Er Luen Lim
- Department of Medical Informatics, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gamaliel Tan
- Department of Medical Informatics, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
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Wang SM, Hogg HDJ, Sangvai D, Patel MR, Weissler EH, Kellogg KC, Ratliff W, Balu S, Sendak M. Development and Integration of Machine Learning Algorithm to Identify Peripheral Arterial Disease: Multistakeholder Qualitative Study. JMIR Form Res 2023; 7:e43963. [PMID: 37733427 PMCID: PMC10557008 DOI: 10.2196/43963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Machine learning (ML)-driven clinical decision support (CDS) continues to draw wide interest and investment as a means of improving care quality and value, despite mixed real-world implementation outcomes. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore the factors that influence the integration of a peripheral arterial disease (PAD) identification algorithm to implement timely guideline-based care. METHODS A total of 12 semistructured interviews were conducted with individuals from 3 stakeholder groups during the first 4 weeks of integration of an ML-driven CDS. The stakeholder groups included technical, administrative, and clinical members of the team interacting with the ML-driven CDS. The ML-driven CDS identified patients with a high probability of having PAD, and these patients were then reviewed by an interdisciplinary team that developed a recommended action plan and sent recommendations to the patient's primary care provider. Pseudonymized transcripts were coded, and thematic analysis was conducted by a multidisciplinary research team. RESULTS Three themes were identified: positive factors translating in silico performance to real-world efficacy, organizational factors and data structure factors affecting clinical impact, and potential challenges to advancing equity. Our study found that the factors that led to successful translation of in silico algorithm performance to real-world impact were largely nontechnical, given adequate efficacy in retrospective validation, including strong clinical leadership, trustworthy workflows, early consideration of end-user needs, and ensuring that the CDS addresses an actionable problem. Negative factors of integration included failure to incorporate the on-the-ground context, the lack of feedback loops, and data silos limiting the ML-driven CDS. The success criteria for each stakeholder group were also characterized to better understand how teams work together to integrate ML-driven CDS and to understand the varying needs across stakeholder groups. CONCLUSIONS Longitudinal and multidisciplinary stakeholder engagement in the development and integration of ML-driven CDS underpins its effective translation into real-world care. Although previous studies have focused on the technical elements of ML-driven CDS, our study demonstrates the importance of including administrative and operational leaders as well as an early consideration of clinicians' needs. Seeing how different stakeholder groups have this more holistic perspective also permits more effective detection of context-driven health care inequities, which are uncovered or exacerbated via ML-driven CDS integration through structural and organizational challenges. Many of the solutions to these inequities lie outside the scope of ML and require coordinated systematic solutions for mitigation to help reduce disparities in the care of patients with PAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina M Wang
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - H D Jeffry Hogg
- Population Health Science Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- Newcastle Eye Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Devdutta Sangvai
- Population Health Management, Duke Health, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Manesh R Patel
- Department of Cardiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - E Hope Weissler
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | | | - William Ratliff
- Duke Institute for Health Innovation, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Suresh Balu
- Duke Institute for Health Innovation, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Mark Sendak
- Duke Institute for Health Innovation, Durham, NC, United States
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Adkins BD, Murfin R, Luu HS, Noland DK. Paediatric clinical decision support: Evaluation of a best practice alert for red blood cell transfusion. Vox Sang 2023; 118:746-752. [PMID: 37431735 DOI: 10.1111/vox.13497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Providing red blood cell (RBC) transfusion to paediatric patients with a haemoglobin (Hb) level of <7 g/dL is the current best practice, but it is often difficult to ensure appropriateness of RBC transfusion on a health system level. Electronic health record (EHR) clinical decision support systems have been shown to be effective in encouraging providers to transfuse at appropriate Hb thresholds. We present our experience with an interruptive best practice alert (BPA) at a paediatric healthcare system. MATERIALS AND METHODS An interruptive BPA requiring physician response was implemented in our EHR (Epic Systems Corp., Verona, WI, USA) in 2018 based on Hb thresholds for inpatients. The threshold was initially <8 g/dL and later changed to <7 g/dL in 2019. We assessed total activations, number of RBC transfusions and hospital metrics through 2022 compared to the 2 years prior to implementation. RESULTS The BPA activated 6956 times over 4 years, slightly less than 5/day, and the success rate, with no RBC transfusions within 24 h of order attempt, was 14.5% (1012/6956). There was a downward trend in the number of total RBC transfusions and RBC transfusions per admission after implementation, non-significant (p = 0.41 and p = >0.99). The annual case mix index was similar over the years evaluated. The estimated cost savings based on acquisition costs for RBC units were 213,822 USD or about $51,891 per year. CONCLUSION BPA implementation led to sustained change in RBC transfusion towards best practice, and there were long-term savings in RBC expenditure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Adkins
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
- Department of Pathology, Children's Health, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Roberta Murfin
- Department of Pathology, Children's Health, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Hung S Luu
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
- Department of Pathology, Children's Health, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Daniel K Noland
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
- Department of Pathology, Children's Health, Dallas, Texas, USA
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Wong A, Berenbrok LA, Snader L, Soh YH, Kumar VK, Javed MA, Bates DW, Sorce LR, Kane-Gill SL. Facilitators and Barriers to Interacting With Clinical Decision Support in the ICU: A Mixed-Methods Approach. Crit Care Explor 2023; 5:e0967. [PMID: 37644969 PMCID: PMC10461946 DOI: 10.1097/cce.0000000000000967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) are used in various aspects of healthcare to improve clinical decision-making, including in the ICU. However, there is growing evidence that CDSS are not used to their full potential, often resulting in alert fatigue which has been associated with patient harm. Clinicians in the ICU may be more vulnerable to desensitization of alerts than clinicians in less urgent parts of the hospital. We evaluated facilitators and barriers to appropriate CDSS interaction and provide methods to improve currently available CDSS in the ICU. DESIGN Sequential explanatory mixed-methods study design, using the BEhavior and Acceptance fRamework. SETTING International survey study. PATIENT/SUBJECTS Clinicians (pharmacists, physicians) identified via survey, with recent experience with clinical decision support. INTERVENTIONS An initial survey was developed to evaluate clinician perspectives on their interactions with CDSS. A subsequent in-depth interview was developed to further evaluate clinician (pharmacist, physician) beliefs and behaviors about CDSS. These interviews were then qualitatively analyzed to determine themes of facilitators and barriers with CDSS interactions. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS A total of 48 respondents completed the initial survey (estimated response rate 15.5%). The majority believed that responding to CDSS alerts was part of their job (75%) but felt they experienced alert fatigue (56.5%). In the qualitative analysis, a total of five facilitators (patient safety, ease of response, specificity, prioritization, and feedback) and four barriers (excess quantity, work environment, difficulty in response, and irrelevance) were identified from the in-depth interviews. CONCLUSIONS In this mixed-methods survey, we identified areas that institutions should focus on to improve appropriate clinician interactions with CDSS, specific to the ICU. Tailoring of CDSS to the ICU may lead to improvement in CDSS and subsequent improved patient safety outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Wong
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Pharmacy, Boston, MA
| | | | - Lauren Snader
- University of Pittsburgh, School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Yu Hyeon Soh
- University of Pittsburgh, School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, PA
| | | | | | - David W Bates
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - Lauren R Sorce
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Chicago, IL
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Cánovas-Segura B, Morales A, Juarez JM, Campos M. Meaningful time-related aspects of alerts in Clinical Decision Support Systems. A unified framework. J Biomed Inform 2023:104397. [PMID: 37245656 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbi.2023.104397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Alerts are a common functionality of clinical decision support systems (CDSSs). Although they have proven to be useful in clinical practice, the alert burden can lead to alert fatigue and significantly reduce their usability and acceptance. Based on a literature review, we propose a unified framework consisting of a set of meaningful timestamps that allows the use of state-of-the-art measures for alert burden, such as alert dwell time, alert think time, and response time. In addition, it can be used to investigate other measures that could be relevant as regards dealing with this problem. Furthermore, we provide a case study concerning three different types of alerts to which the framework was successfully applied. We consider that our framework can easily be adapted to other CDSSs and that it could be useful for dealing with alert burden measurement thus contributing to its appropriate management.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antonio Morales
- AIKE Research Group (INTICO), University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Jose M Juarez
- AIKE Research Group (INTICO), University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Manuel Campos
- AIKE Research Group (INTICO), University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain; Murcian Bio-Health Institute (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain.
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Bhatt AS, Varshney AS, Moscone A, Claggett BL, Miao ZM, Chatur S, Lopes MS, Ostrominski JW, Pabon MA, Unlu O, Wang X, Bernier TD, Buckley LF, Cook B, Eaton R, Fiene J, Kanaan D, Kelly J, Knowles DM, Lupi K, Matta LS, Pimentel LY, Rhoten MN, Malloy R, Ting C, Chhor R, Guerin JR, Schissel SL, Hoa B, Lio CH, Milewski K, Espinosa ME, Liu Z, McHatton R, Cunningham JW, Jering KS, Bertot JH, Kaur G, Ahmad A, Akash M, Davoudi F, Hinrichsen MZ, Rabin DL, Gordan PL, Roberts DJ, Urma D, McElrath EE, Hinchey ED, Choudhry NK, Nekoui M, Solomon SD, Adler DS, Vaduganathan M. Virtual Care Team Guided Management of Patients With Heart Failure During Hospitalization. J Am Coll Cardiol 2023; 81:1680-1693. [PMID: 36889612 PMCID: PMC10947307 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2023.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Scalable and safe approaches for heart failure guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) optimization are needed. OBJECTIVES The authors assessed the safety and effectiveness of a virtual care team guided strategy on GDMT optimization in hospitalized patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). METHODS In a multicenter implementation trial, we allocated 252 hospital encounters in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40% to a virtual care team guided strategy (107 encounters among 83 patients) or usual care (145 encounters among 115 patients) across 3 centers in an integrated health system. In the virtual care team group, clinicians received up to 1 daily GDMT optimization suggestion from a physician-pharmacist team. The primary effectiveness outcome was in-hospital change in GDMT optimization score (+2 initiations, +1 dose up-titrations, -1 dose down-titrations, -2 discontinuations summed across classes). In-hospital safety outcomes were adjudicated by an independent clinical events committee. RESULTS Among 252 encounters, the mean age was 69 ± 14 years, 85 (34%) were women, 35 (14%) were Black, and 43 (17%) were Hispanic. The virtual care team strategy significantly improved GDMT optimization scores vs usual care (adjusted difference: +1.2; 95% CI: 0.7-1.8; P < 0.001). New initiations (44% vs 23%; absolute difference: +21%; P = 0.001) and net intensifications (44% vs 24%; absolute difference: +20%; P = 0.002) during hospitalization were higher in the virtual care team group, translating to a number needed to intervene of 5 encounters. Overall, 23 (21%) in the virtual care team group and 40 (28%) in usual care experienced 1 or more adverse events (P = 0.30). Acute kidney injury, bradycardia, hypotension, hyperkalemia, and hospital length of stay were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS Among patients hospitalized with HFrEF, a virtual care team guided strategy for GDMT optimization was safe and improved GDMT across multiple hospitals in an integrated health system. Virtual teams represent a centralized and scalable approach to optimize GDMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankeet S Bhatt
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center and Division of Research, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Anubodh S Varshney
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Alea Moscone
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brian L Claggett
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Zi Michael Miao
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Safia Chatur
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mathew S Lopes
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - John W Ostrominski
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Maria A Pabon
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ozan Unlu
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Xiaowen Wang
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Leo F Buckley
- Department of Pharmacy Services, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bryan Cook
- Mass General Brigham Center for Drug Policy, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rachael Eaton
- Department of Pharmacy, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Jillian Fiene
- Department of Pharmacy Services, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dareen Kanaan
- Department of Pharmacy Services, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Julie Kelly
- Department of Pharmacy, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Danielle M Knowles
- Department of Pharmacy Services, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kenneth Lupi
- Department of Pharmacy Services, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lina S Matta
- Department of Pharmacy Services, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Liriany Y Pimentel
- Department of Pharmacy Services, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Megan N Rhoten
- Department of Pharmacy Services, Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Roanoke, Virginia, USA
| | - Rhynn Malloy
- Department of Pharmacy, Children's Hospital Colorado, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Clara Ting
- University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Rosette Chhor
- Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joshua R Guerin
- Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Scott L Schissel
- Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brenda Hoa
- Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Connie H Lio
- Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kristina Milewski
- Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michelle E Espinosa
- Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Zhenzhen Liu
- Salem Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Salem, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ralph McHatton
- Salem Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Salem, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jonathan W Cunningham
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Karola S Jering
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - John H Bertot
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gurleen Kaur
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Adeel Ahmad
- Salem Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Salem, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Muhammad Akash
- Salem Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Salem, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Farideh Davoudi
- Salem Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Salem, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - David L Rabin
- Salem Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Salem, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - David J Roberts
- Salem Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Salem, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Daniela Urma
- Salem Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Salem, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Erin E McElrath
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Emily D Hinchey
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Niteesh K Choudhry
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mahan Nekoui
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Scott D Solomon
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dale S Adler
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Muthiah Vaduganathan
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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13
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Samal L, Wu E, Aaron S, Kilgallon JL, Gannon M, McCoy A, Blecker S, Dykes PC, Bates DW, Lipsitz S, Wright A. Refining Clinical Phenotypes to Improve Clinical Decision Support and Reduce Alert Fatigue: A Feasibility Study. Appl Clin Inform 2023; 14:528-537. [PMID: 37437601 PMCID: PMC10338104 DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1768994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common and associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Most care for early CKD is provided in primary care, including hypertension (HTN) management. Computerized clinical decision support (CDS) can improve the quality of care for CKD but can also cause alert fatigue for primary care physicians (PCPs). Computable phenotypes (CPs) are algorithms to identify disease populations using, for example, specific laboratory data criteria. OBJECTIVES Our objective was to determine the feasibility of implementation of CDS alerts by developing CPs and estimating potential alert burden. METHODS We utilized clinical guidelines to develop a set of five CPs for patients with stage 3 to 4 CKD, uncontrolled HTN, and indications for initiation or titration of guideline-recommended antihypertensive agents. We then conducted an iterative data analytic process consisting of database queries, data validation, and subject matter expert discussion, to make iterative changes to the CPs. We estimated the potential alert burden to make final decisions about the scope of the CDS alerts. Specifically, the number of times that each alert could fire was limited to once per patient. RESULTS In our primary care network, there were 239,339 encounters for 105,992 primary care patients between April 1, 2018 and April 1, 2019. Of these patients, 9,081 (8.6%) had stage 3 and 4 CKD. Almost half of the CKD patients, 4,191 patients, also had uncontrolled HTN. The majority of CKD patients were female, elderly, white, and English-speaking. We estimated that 5,369 alerts would fire if alerts were triggered multiple times per patient, with a mean number of alerts shown to each PCP ranging from 0.07-to 0.17 alerts per week. CONCLUSION Development of CPs and estimation of alert burden allows researchers to iteratively fine-tune CDS prior to implementation. This method of assessment can help organizations balance the tradeoff between standardization of care and alert fatigue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lipika Samal
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Edward Wu
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dothan, Alabama, United States
| | - Skye Aaron
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - John L. Kilgallon
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Michael Gannon
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia, United States
| | - Allison McCoy
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
| | - Saul Blecker
- NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States
| | - Patricia C. Dykes
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - David W. Bates
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Stuart Lipsitz
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Adam Wright
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
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Rabbani N, Ho M, Dash D, Calway T, Morse K, Chadwick W. Pseudorandomized Testing of a Discharge Medication Alert to Reduce Free-Text Prescribing. Appl Clin Inform 2023; 14:470-477. [PMID: 37015344 PMCID: PMC10266904 DOI: 10.1055/a-2068-6940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pseudorandomized testing can be applied to perform rigorous yet practical evaluations of clinical decision support tools. We apply this methodology to an interruptive alert aimed at reducing free-text prescriptions. Using free-text instead of structured computerized provider order entry elements can cause medication errors and inequity in care by bypassing medication-based clinical decision support tools and hindering automated translation of prescription instructions. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an interruptive alert at reducing free-text prescriptions via pseudorandomized testing using native electronic health records (EHR) functionality. METHODS Two versions of an EHR alert triggered when a provider attempted to sign a discharge free-text prescription. The visible version displayed an interruptive alert to the user, and a silent version triggered in the background, serving as a control. Providers were assigned to the visible and silent arms based on even/odd EHR provider IDs. The proportion of encounters with a free-text prescription was calculated across the groups. Alert trigger rates were compared in process control charts. Free-text prescriptions were analyzed to identify prescribing patterns. RESULTS Over the 28-week study period, 143 providers triggered 695 alerts (345 visible and 350 silent). The proportions of encounters with free-text prescriptions were 83% (266/320) and 90% (273/303) in the intervention and control groups, respectively (p = 0.01). For the active alert, median time to action was 31 seconds. Alert trigger rates between groups were similar over time. Ibuprofen, oxycodone, steroid tapers, and oncology-related prescriptions accounted for most free-text prescriptions. A majority of these prescriptions originated from user preference lists. CONCLUSION An interruptive alert was associated with a modest reduction in free-text prescriptions. Furthermore, the majority of these prescriptions could have been reproduced using structured order entry fields. Targeting user preference lists shows promise for future intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveed Rabbani
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Milan Ho
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas, United States
| | - Debadutta Dash
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Tyler Calway
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Keith Morse
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States
- Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Whitney Chadwick
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States
- Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States
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15
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Chen J, Cutrona SL, Dharod A, Bunch SC, Foley KL, Ostasiewski B, Hale ER, Bridges A, Moses A, Donny EC, Sutfin EL, Houston TK. Monitoring the Implementation of Tobacco Cessation Support Tools: Using Novel Electronic Health Record Activity Metrics. JMIR Med Inform 2023; 11:e43097. [PMID: 36862466 PMCID: PMC10020903 DOI: 10.2196/43097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical decision support (CDS) tools in electronic health records (EHRs) are often used as core strategies to support quality improvement programs in the clinical setting. Monitoring the impact (intended and unintended) of these tools is crucial for program evaluation and adaptation. Existing approaches for monitoring typically rely on health care providers' self-reports or direct observation of clinical workflows, which require substantial data collection efforts and are prone to reporting bias. OBJECTIVE This study aims to develop a novel monitoring method leveraging EHR activity data and demonstrate its use in monitoring the CDS tools implemented by a tobacco cessation program sponsored by the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Center Cessation Initiative (C3I). METHODS We developed EHR-based metrics to monitor the implementation of two CDS tools: (1) a screening alert reminding clinic staff to complete the smoking assessment and (2) a support alert prompting health care providers to discuss support and treatment options, including referral to a cessation clinic. Using EHR activity data, we measured the completion (encounter-level alert completion rate) and burden (the number of times an alert was fired before completion and time spent handling the alert) of the CDS tools. We report metrics tracked for 12 months post implementation, comparing 7 cancer clinics (2 clinics implemented the screening alert and 5 implemented both alerts) within a C3I center, and identify areas to improve alert design and adoption. RESULTS The screening alert fired in 5121 encounters during the 12 months post implementation. The encounter-level alert completion rate (clinic staff acknowledged completion of screening in EHR: 0.55; clinic staff completed EHR documentation of screening results: 0.32) remained stable over time but varied considerably across clinics. The support alert fired in 1074 encounters during the 12 months. Providers acted upon (ie, not postponed) the support alert in 87.3% (n=938) of encounters, identified a patient ready to quit in 12% (n=129) of encounters, and ordered a referral to the cessation clinic in 2% (n=22) of encounters. With respect to alert burden, on average, both alerts fired over 2 times (screening alert: 2.7; support alert: 2.1) before completion; time spent postponing the screening alert was similar to completing (52 vs 53 seconds) the alert, and time spent postponing the support alert was more than completing (67 vs 50 seconds) the alert per encounter. These findings inform four areas where the alert design and use can be improved: (1) improving alert adoption and completion through local adaptation, (2) improving support alert efficacy by additional strategies including training in provider-patient communication, (3) improving the accuracy of tracking for alert completion, and (4) balancing alert efficacy with the burden. CONCLUSIONS EHR activity metrics were able to monitor the success and burden of tobacco cessation alerts, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of potential trade-offs associated with alert implementation. These metrics can be used to guide implementation adaptation and are scalable across diverse settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinying Chen
- iDAPT Implementation Science Center for Cancer Control, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sarah L Cutrona
- iDAPT Implementation Science Center for Cancer Control, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Ajay Dharod
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Implementation Science, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Wake Forest Center for Healthcare Innovation, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Wake Forest Center for Biomedical Informatics, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Stephanie C Bunch
- Center for Health Analytics, Media, and Policy, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Kristie L Foley
- iDAPT Implementation Science Center for Cancer Control, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Implementation Science, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Brian Ostasiewski
- Clinical & Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Erica R Hale
- iDAPT Implementation Science Center for Cancer Control, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Aaron Bridges
- Clinical & Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Adam Moses
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Eric C Donny
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Erin L Sutfin
- Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Thomas K Houston
- iDAPT Implementation Science Center for Cancer Control, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
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16
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Pearson DS, McEvoy DS, Murali MR, Dighe AS. Use of Clinical Decision Support to Improve the Laboratory Evaluation of Monoclonal Gammopathies. Am J Clin Pathol 2023; 159:192-204. [PMID: 36622340 DOI: 10.1093/ajcp/aqac151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES There is considerable variation in ordering practices for the initial laboratory evaluation of monoclonal gammopathies (MGs) despite clear society guidelines to include serum free light chain (sFLC) testing. We assessed the ability of a clinical decision support (CDS) alert to improve guideline compliance and analyzed its clinical impact. METHODS We designed and deployed a targeted CDS alert to educate and prompt providers to order an sFLC assay when ordering serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) testing. RESULTS The alert was highly effective at increasing the co-ordering of SPEP and sFLC testing. Preimplementation, 62.8% of all SPEP evaluations included sFLC testing, while nearly 90% of evaluations included an sFLC assay postimplementation. In patients with no prior sFLC testing, analysis of sFLC orders prompted by the alert led to the determination that 28.9% (800/2,769) of these patients had an abnormal κ/λ ratio. In 452 of these patients, the sFLC assay provided the only laboratory evidence of a monoclonal protein. Moreover, within this population, there were numerous instances of new diagnoses of multiple myeloma and other MGs. CONCLUSIONS The CDS alert increased compliance with society guidelines and improved the diagnostic evaluation of patients with suspected MGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Pearson
- Department of Pathology Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Mandakolathur R Murali
- Department of Pathology Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USAand
| | - Anand S Dighe
- Department of Pathology Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Massachuscetts General Brigham, Somerville, MA, USA
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17
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Socco S, Wake DT, Lee JC, Dunnenberger HM. Pharmacogenomics of medications given via nonconventional administration routes: a scoping review. Pharmacogenomics 2022; 23:933-948. [DOI: 10.2217/pgs-2022-0093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Pharmacogenomics (PGx) implementation has become increasingly widespread. One of the most important aspects of this implementation process is the development of appropriate clinical decision support (CDS). Major PGx resources, such as the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium, provide valuable recommendations for the development of CDS for specific gene–drug pairs but do not specify whether the administration route of a drug is clinically relevant. It is also unknown if PGx alerts for nonorally and non-intravenously administered PGx-relevant medications should be suppressed to reduce alert fatigue. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify studies and their clinical, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic outcomes to better determine if CDS alerts are relevant for nonorally and non-intravenously administered PGx-relevant medications. Although this scoping review identified multiple PGx studies, the results of these studies were inconsistent, and more evidence is needed regarding different routes of medication administration and PGx.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Socco
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Department of Precision Medicine, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - Dyson T Wake
- Department of Precision Medicine, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - James C Lee
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Henry M Dunnenberger
- Department of Precision Medicine, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
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18
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Rubins D, McCoy AB, Dutta S, McEvoy DS, Patterson L, Miller A, Jackson JG, Zuccotti G, Wright A. Real-Time User Feedback to Support Clinical Decision Support System Improvement. Appl Clin Inform 2022; 13:1024-1032. [PMID: 36288748 PMCID: PMC9605820 DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1757923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To improve clinical decision support (CDS) by allowing users to provide real-time feedback when they interact with CDS tools and by creating processes for responding to and acting on this feedback. METHODS Two organizations implemented similar real-time feedback tools and processes in their electronic health record and gathered data over a 30-month period. At both sites, users could provide feedback by using Likert feedback links embedded in all end-user facing alerts, with results stored outside the electronic health record, and provide feedback as a comment when they overrode an alert. Both systems are monitored daily by clinical informatics teams. RESULTS The two sites received 2,639 Likert feedback comments and 623,270 override comments over a 30-month period. Through four case studies, we describe our use of end-user feedback to rapidly respond to build errors, as well as identifying inaccurate knowledge management, user-interface issues, and unique workflows. CONCLUSION Feedback on CDS tools can be solicited in multiple ways, and it contains valuable and actionable suggestions to improve CDS alerts. Additionally, end users appreciate knowing their feedback is being received and may also make other suggestions to improve the electronic health record. Incorporation of end-user feedback into CDS monitoring, evaluation, and remediation is a way to improve CDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Rubins
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Digital, Mass General Brigham, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Allison B. McCoy
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
| | - Sayon Dutta
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Digital, Mass General Brigham, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Dustin S. McEvoy
- Digital, Mass General Brigham, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Lorraine Patterson
- HealthIT, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
| | - Amy Miller
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Digital, Mass General Brigham, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - John G. Jackson
- HealthIT, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
| | - Gianna Zuccotti
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Digital, Mass General Brigham, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Adam Wright
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
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19
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Park H, Chae MK, Jeong W, Yu J, Jung W, Chang H, Cha WC. Appropriateness of Alerts and Physicians’ Responses with a Medication-related Clinical Decision Support System (Preprint). JMIR Med Inform 2022; 10:e40511. [PMID: 36194461 PMCID: PMC9579928 DOI: 10.2196/40511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Alert fatigue is unavoidable when many irrelevant alerts are generated in response to a small number of useful alerts. It is necessary to increase the effectiveness of the clinical decision support system (CDSS) by understanding physicians’ responses. Objective This study aimed to understand the CDSS and physicians’ behavior by evaluating the clinical appropriateness of alerts and the corresponding physicians’ responses in a medication-related passive alert system. Methods Data on medication-related orders, alerts, and patients’ electronic medical records were analyzed. The analyzed data were generated between August 2019 and June 2020 while the patient was in the emergency department. We evaluated the appropriateness of alerts and physicians’ responses for a subset of 382 alert cases and classified them. Results Of the 382 alert cases, only 7.3% (n=28) of the alerts were clinically appropriate. Regarding the appropriateness of the physicians’ responses about the alerts, 92.4% (n=353) were deemed appropriate. In the classification of alerts, only 3.4% (n=13) of alerts were successfully triggered, and 2.1% (n=8) were inappropriate in both alert clinical relevance and physician’s response. In this study, the override rate was 92.9% (n=355). Conclusions We evaluated the appropriateness of alerts and physicians’ responses through a detailed medical record review of the medication-related passive alert system. An excessive number of unnecessary alerts are generated, because the algorithm operates as a rule base without reflecting the individual condition of the patient. It is important to maximize the value of the CDSS by comprehending physicians’ responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunjung Park
- Department of Digital Health, Samsung Advanced Institute of Health Sciences & Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Minjung Kathy Chae
- Department of Digital Health, Samsung Advanced Institute of Health Sciences & Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Woohyeon Jeong
- Department of Digital Health, Samsung Advanced Institute of Health Sciences & Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeyong Yu
- Department of Digital Health, Samsung Advanced Institute of Health Sciences & Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Weon Jung
- Department of Digital Health, Samsung Advanced Institute of Health Sciences & Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hansol Chang
- Department of Digital Health, Samsung Advanced Institute of Health Sciences & Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Chul Cha
- Department of Digital Health, Samsung Advanced Institute of Health Sciences & Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Digital Innovation Center, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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20
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Chaparro JD, Beus JM, Dziorny AC, Hagedorn PA, Hernandez S, Kandaswamy S, Kirkendall ES, McCoy AB, Muthu N, Orenstein EW. Clinical Decision Support Stewardship: Best Practices and Techniques to Monitor and Improve Interruptive Alerts. Appl Clin Inform 2022; 13:560-568. [PMID: 35613913 PMCID: PMC9132737 DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1748856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Interruptive clinical decision support systems, both within and outside of electronic health records, are a resource that should be used sparingly and monitored closely. Excessive use of interruptive alerting can quickly lead to alert fatigue and decreased effectiveness and ignoring of alerts. In this review, we discuss the evidence for effective alert stewardship as well as practices and methods we have found useful to assess interruptive alert burden, reduce excessive firings, optimize alert effectiveness, and establish quality governance at our institutions. We also discuss the importance of a holistic view of the alerting ecosystem beyond the electronic health record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan D Chaparro
- Division of Clinical Informatics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, United States.,Departments of Pediatrics and Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | - Jonathan M Beus
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States.,Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Adam C Dziorny
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York, United States
| | - Philip A Hagedorn
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States.,Division of Hospital Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
| | - Sean Hernandez
- Center for Healthcare Innovation, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States.,Department of General Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
| | - Swaminathan Kandaswamy
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Eric S Kirkendall
- Center for Healthcare Innovation, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States.,Center for Biomedical Informatics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem NC, United States
| | - Allison B McCoy
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
| | - Naveen Muthu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.,Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Evan W Orenstein
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States.,Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
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21
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Lee J, Yang S, Holland-Hall C, Sezgin E, Gill M, Linwood S, Huang Y, Hoffman J. Prevalence of Sensitive Terms in Clinical Notes: observational study using natural language processing techniques (Preprint). JMIR Med Inform 2022; 10:e38482. [PMID: 35687381 PMCID: PMC9233261 DOI: 10.2196/38482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Objective Methods Results Conclusions
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Lee
- Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
- The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Samuel Yang
- Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
- The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Cynthia Holland-Hall
- Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
- The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Emre Sezgin
- Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Manjot Gill
- The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Simon Linwood
- Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Yungui Huang
- Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Jeffrey Hoffman
- Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
- The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
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22
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Kushniruk A, Banks A, Melton GB, Porta CM, Tignanelli CJ. Barriers to and Facilitators for Acceptance of Comprehensive Clinical Decision Support System-Driven Care Maps for Patients With Thoracic Trauma: Interview Study Among Health Care Providers and Nurses. JMIR Hum Factors 2022; 9:e29019. [PMID: 35293873 PMCID: PMC8968578 DOI: 10.2196/29019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Comprehensive clinical decision support (CDS) care maps can improve the delivery of care and clinical outcomes. However, they are frequently plagued by usability problems and poor user acceptance. OBJECTIVE This study aims to characterize factors influencing successful design and use of comprehensive CDS care maps and identify themes associated with end-user acceptance of a thoracic trauma CDS care map earlier in the process than has traditionally been done. This was a planned adaptive redesign stage of a User Acceptance and System Adaptation Design development and implementation strategy for a CDS care map. This stage was based on a previously developed prototype CDS care map guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. METHODS A total of 22 multidisciplinary end users (physicians, advanced practice providers, and nurses) were identified and recruited using snowball sampling. Qualitative interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Generation of prespecified codes and the interview guide was informed by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology constructs and investigative team experience. Interviews were blinded and double-coded. Thematic analysis of interview scripts was conducted and yielded descriptive themes about factors influencing the construction and potential use of an acceptable CDS care map. RESULTS A total of eight dominant themes were identified: alert fatigue (theme 1), automation (theme 2), redundancy (theme 3), minimalistic design (theme 4), evidence based (theme 5), prevent errors (theme 6), comprehensive across the spectrum of disease (theme 7), and malleability (theme 8). Themes 1 to 4 addressed factors directly affecting end users, and themes 5 to 8 addressed factors affecting patient outcomes. More experienced providers prioritized a system that is easy to use. Nurses prioritized a system that incorporated evidence into decision support. Clinicians across specialties, roles, and ages agreed that the amount of extra work generated should be minimal and that the system should help them administer optimal care efficiently. CONCLUSIONS End user feedback reinforces attention toward factors that improve the acceptance and use of a CDS care map for patients with thoracic trauma. Common themes focused on system complexity, the ability of the system to fit different populations and settings, and optimal care provision. Identifying these factors early in the development and implementation process may facilitate user-centered design and improve adoption.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alyssa Banks
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Genevieve B Melton
- Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Carolyn M Porta
- School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Christopher J Tignanelli
- Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.,Department of Surgery, North Memorial Health Hospital, Robbinsdale, MN, United States
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23
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Goldman A, Kathrins M. Optimized Use of the Electronic Health Record and Other Clinical Resources to Enhance the Management of Hypogonadal Men. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am 2022; 51:217-228. [PMID: 35216718 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecl.2021.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Electronic health records (EHRs) have enabled electronic documentation of a tremendous amount of clinical data. EHRs have the potential to improve communication between patients and their providers, facilitate quality improvement and outcomes research, and reduce medical errors. Conversely, EHRs have also increased clinician burnout, information clutter, and depersonalization of the interactions between patients and their providers. Increasing clinician input into EHR design, providing access to technical help, streamlining of workflow, and the use of custom templates that have fewer requirements for evaluation and management coding can reduce this burnout and increase the utility of this advancing technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Goldman
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Avenue, RFB-2, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Martin Kathrins
- Division of Urology, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 45 Francis Street, ASB-II, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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24
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Liu S, Kawamoto K, Del Fiol G, Weir C, Malone DC, Reese TJ, Morgan K, ElHalta D, Abdelrahman S. The potential for leveraging machine learning to filter medication alerts. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2022; 29:891-899. [PMID: 34990507 PMCID: PMC9006688 DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocab292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the potential for machine learning to predict medication alerts that might be ignored by a user, and intelligently filter out those alerts from the user's view. MATERIALS AND METHODS We identified features (eg, patient and provider characteristics) proposed to modulate user responses to medication alerts through the literature; these features were then refined through expert review. Models were developed using rule-based and machine learning techniques (logistic regression, random forest, support vector machine, neural network, and LightGBM). We collected log data on alerts shown to users throughout 2019 at University of Utah Health. We sought to maximize precision while maintaining a false-negative rate <0.01, a threshold predefined through discussion with physicians and pharmacists. We developed models while maintaining a sensitivity of 0.99. Two null hypotheses were developed: H1-there is no difference in precision among prediction models; and H2-the removal of any feature category does not change precision. RESULTS A total of 3,481,634 medication alerts with 751 features were evaluated. With sensitivity fixed at 0.99, LightGBM achieved the highest precision of 0.192 and less than 0.01 for the pre-defined maximal false-negative rate by subject-matter experts (H1) (P < 0.001). This model could reduce alert volume by 54.1%. We removed different combinations of features (H2) and found that not all features significantly contributed to precision. Removing medication order features (eg, dosage) most significantly decreased precision (-0.147, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Machine learning potentially enables the intelligent filtering of medication alerts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siru Liu
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Kensaku Kawamoto
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Guilherme Del Fiol
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Charlene Weir
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Daniel C Malone
- Department of Pharmacotherapy, Skaggs College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Thomas J Reese
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA,Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Keaton Morgan
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - David ElHalta
- Pharmacy Services, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Samir Abdelrahman
- Corresponding Author: Samir Abdelrahman, MS, PhD, Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Utah, 421 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA;
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25
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Orenstein EW, Kandaswamy S, Muthu N, Chaparro JD, Hagedorn PA, Dziorny AC, Moses A, Hernandez S, Khan A, Huth HB, Beus JM, Kirkendall ES. Alert burden in pediatric hospitals: a cross-sectional analysis of six academic pediatric health systems using novel metrics. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2021; 28:2654-2660. [PMID: 34664664 DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocab179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Excessive electronic health record (EHR) alerts reduce the salience of actionable alerts. Little is known about the frequency of interruptive alerts across health systems and how the choice of metric affects which users appear to have the highest alert burden. OBJECTIVE (1) Analyze alert burden by alert type, care setting, provider type, and individual provider across 6 pediatric health systems. (2) Compare alert burden using different metrics. MATERIALS AND METHODS We analyzed interruptive alert firings logged in EHR databases at 6 pediatric health systems from 2016-2019 using 4 metrics: (1) alerts per patient encounter, (2) alerts per inpatient-day, (3) alerts per 100 orders, and (4) alerts per unique clinician days (calendar days with at least 1 EHR log in the system). We assessed intra- and interinstitutional variation and how alert burden rankings differed based on the chosen metric. RESULTS Alert burden varied widely across institutions, ranging from 0.06 to 0.76 firings per encounter, 0.22 to 1.06 firings per inpatient-day, 0.98 to 17.42 per 100 orders, and 0.08 to 3.34 firings per clinician day logged in the EHR. Custom alerts accounted for the greatest burden at all 6 sites. The rank order of institutions by alert burden was similar regardless of which alert burden metric was chosen. Within institutions, the alert burden metric choice substantially affected which provider types and care settings appeared to experience the highest alert burden. CONCLUSION Estimates of the clinical areas with highest alert burden varied substantially by institution and based on the metric used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan W Orenstein
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Division of Hospital Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Naveen Muthu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Juan D Chaparro
- Division of Clinical Informatics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Philip A Hagedorn
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.,Division of Hospital Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Adam C Dziorny
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York, USA.,Division of Critical Care Medicine, Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Adam Moses
- Center for Healthcare Innovation, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sean Hernandez
- Center for Healthcare Innovation, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.,Department of General Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Amina Khan
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hannah B Huth
- Center for Healthcare Innovation, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jonathan M Beus
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Eric S Kirkendall
- Center for Healthcare Innovation, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
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26
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Bakhoum N, Gerhart C, Schremp E, Jeffrey AD, Anders S, France D, Ward MJ. A Time and Motion Analysis of Nursing Workload and Electronic Health Record Use in the Emergency Department. J Emerg Nurs 2021; 47:733-741. [PMID: 33888334 PMCID: PMC11216543 DOI: 10.1016/j.jen.2021.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The use of an electronic health record may create unanticipated consequences for emergency care delivery. We sought to describe emergency department nursing task distribution and the use of the electronic health record. METHODS This was a prospective observational study of nurses in the emergency department using a time-and-motion methodology. Three trained research assistants conducted 1:1 observations between March and September 2019. Nurse tasks were classified into 6 established categories: electronic health record, direct/indirect patient care, communication, personal time, and other. Nurses' perceived workload was assessed using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Task Load Index. RESULTS Twenty-three observations were conducted over 46 hours. Overall, nurses spent 27% of their time on electronic health record tasks, 25% on direct patient care, 17% on personal time, 15% on indirect patient care, and 6% on communication. During morning (7 am-12 pm) and afternoon shifts (12 pm-3 pm), the use of the health record was the most commonly performed task, whereas indirect patient care was the task most performed during evening shifts (3 pm-12 pm). Using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Task Load Index, nurses reported an increase in mental demand and effort during afternoon shifts compared with morning shifts. DISCUSSION We observed that emergency nurses spent more time using the electronic health record as compared to other tasks. Increased usability of the electronic health record, particularly during high occupancy periods, may be a target for improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Emma Schremp
- Center for Research and Innovation in Systems Safety, Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Ashley D. Jeffrey
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Shilo Anders
- Center for Research and Innovation in Systems Safety, Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Daniel France
- Center for Research and Innovation in Systems Safety, Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Michael J. Ward
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Human factors and ergonomics (HF/E) frameworks and methods are becoming embedded in the health informatics community. There is now broad recognition that health informatics tools must account for the diverse needs, characteristics, and abilities of end users, as well as their context of use. The objective of this review is to synthesize the current nature and scope of HF/E integration into the health informatics community. METHODS Because the focus of this synthesis is on understanding the current integration of the HF/E and health informatics research communities, we manually reviewed all manuscripts published in primary HF/E and health informatics journals during 2020. RESULTS HF/E-focused health informatics studies included in this synthesis focused heavily on EHR customizations, specifically clinical decision support customizations and customized data displays, and on mobile health innovations. While HF/E methods aimed to jointly improve end user safety, performance, and satisfaction, most HF/E-focused health informatics studies measured only end user satisfaction. CONCLUSION HF/E-focused health informatics researchers need to identify and communicate methodological standards specific to health informatics, to better synthesize findings across resource intensive HF/E-focused health informatics studies. Important gaps in the HF/E design and evaluation process should be addressed in future work, including support for technology development platforms and training programs so that health informatics designers are as diverse as end users.
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Guo X, Swenor BK, Smith K, Boland MV, Goldstein JE. Developing an Ophthalmology Clinical Decision Support System to Identify Patients for Low Vision Rehabilitation. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2021; 10:24. [PMID: 34003955 PMCID: PMC7991974 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.10.3.24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate an electronic health record (EHR) clinical decision support system to identify patients meeting criteria for low vision rehabilitation (LVR) referral. Methods In this quality improvement project, we applied a user-centered design approach to develop an interactive electronic alert for LVR referral within the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute. We invited 15 ophthalmology physicians from 8 subspecialties to participate in the design and implementation, and to provide user experience feedback. The three project phases incorporated development evaluation, feedback analysis, and system refinement. We report on the final alert design, firing accuracy, and user experiences. Results The alert was designed as physician-centered and patient-specific. Alert firing relied on visual acuity and International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 diagnosis (hemianopia/quadrantanopia) criteria. The alert suppression considerations included age < 5 years, recent surgeries, prior LVR visit, and related alert actions. False positive rate (firing when alert should have been suppressed or when firing criteria not met) was 0.2%. The overall false negative rate (alert not firing when visual acuity or encounter diagnosis criteria met) was 5.6%. Of the 13 physicians who completed the survey, 8 agreed that the alert is easy to use, and 12 would consider ongoing usage. Conclusions This EHR-based clinical decision support system shows reliable firing metrics in identifying patients with vision impairment and promising acceptance by ophthalmologist users to facilitate care and LVR referral. Translational Relevance The use of real-time data offers an opportunity to translate ophthalmic guidelines and best practices into systematic action for clinical care and research purposes across subspecialties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxing Guo
- Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bonnielin K Swenor
- Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kerry Smith
- Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michael V Boland
- Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Judith E Goldstein
- Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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29
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Wright A, Aaron S, McCoy AB, El-Kareh R, Fort D, Kassakian SZ, Longhurst CA, Malhotra S, McEvoy DS, Monsen CB, Schreiber R, Weitkamp AO, Willett DL, Sittig DF. Algorithmic Detection of Boolean Logic Errors in Clinical Decision Support Statements. Appl Clin Inform 2021; 12:182-189. [PMID: 33694144 DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1722918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Clinical decision support (CDS) can contribute to quality and safety. Prior work has shown that errors in CDS systems are common and can lead to unintended consequences. Many CDS systems use Boolean logic, which can be difficult for CDS analysts to specify accurately. We set out to determine the prevalence of certain types of Boolean logic errors in CDS statements. METHODS Nine health care organizations extracted Boolean logic statements from their Epic electronic health record (EHR). We developed an open-source software tool, which implemented the Espresso logic minimization algorithm, to identify three classes of logic errors. RESULTS Participating organizations submitted 260,698 logic statements, of which 44,890 were minimized by Espresso. We found errors in 209 of them. Every participating organization had at least two errors, and all organizations reported that they would act on the feedback. DISCUSSION An automated algorithm can readily detect specific categories of Boolean CDS logic errors. These errors represent a minority of CDS errors, but very likely require correction to avoid patient safety issues. This process found only a few errors at each site, but the problem appears to be widespread, affecting all participating organizations. CONCLUSION Both CDS implementers and EHR vendors should consider implementing similar algorithms as part of the CDS authoring process to reduce the number of errors in their CDS interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Wright
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States.,Division of General Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.,Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.,Partners eCare, Partners HealthCare System, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Skye Aaron
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Allison B McCoy
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
| | - Robert El-Kareh
- Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Health, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States
| | - Daniel Fort
- Center for Outcomes and Health Services Research, Ochsner Health System, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
| | - Steven Z Kassakian
- Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States
| | - Christopher A Longhurst
- Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Health, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States
| | - Sameer Malhotra
- Department of Healthcare Policy and Research, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, United States.,Department of Internal Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, United States
| | - Dustin S McEvoy
- Partners eCare, Partners HealthCare System, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Craig B Monsen
- Center for Informatics, Atrius Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Richard Schreiber
- Physician Informatics and Department of Internal Medicine, Geisinger Holy Spirit, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Asli O Weitkamp
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
| | - DuWayne L Willett
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States
| | - Dean F Sittig
- School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States
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Baron JM, Huang R, McEvoy D, Dighe AS. Use of machine learning to predict clinical decision support compliance, reduce alert burden, and evaluate duplicate laboratory test ordering alerts. JAMIA Open 2021; 4:ooab006. [PMID: 33709062 PMCID: PMC7935497 DOI: 10.1093/jamiaopen/ooab006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives While well-designed clinical decision support (CDS) alerts can improve patient care, utilization management, and population health, excessive alerting may be counterproductive, leading to clinician burden and alert fatigue. We sought to develop machine learning models to predict whether a clinician will accept the advice provided by a CDS alert. Such models could reduce alert burden by targeting CDS alerts to specific cases where they are most likely to be effective. Materials and Methods We focused on a set of laboratory test ordering alerts, deployed at 8 hospitals within the Partners Healthcare System. The alerts notified clinicians of duplicate laboratory test orders and advised discontinuation. We captured key attributes surrounding 60 399 alert firings, including clinician and patient variables, and whether the clinician complied with the alert. Using these data, we developed logistic regression models to predict alert compliance. Results We identified key factors that predicted alert compliance; for example, clinicians were less likely to comply with duplicate test alerts triggered in patients with a prior abnormal result for the test or in the context of a nonvisit-based encounter (eg, phone call). Likewise, differences in practice patterns between clinicians appeared to impact alert compliance. Our best-performing predictive model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.82. Incorporating this model into the alerting logic could have averted more than 1900 alerts at a cost of fewer than 200 additional duplicate tests. Conclusions Deploying predictive models to target CDS alerts may substantially reduce clinician alert burden while maintaining most or all the CDS benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason M Baron
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Havard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Richard Huang
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Havard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dustin McEvoy
- Partners eCare, Partners HealthCare System, Somerville, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anand S Dighe
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Havard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Partners eCare, Partners HealthCare System, Somerville, Massachusetts, USA
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Van Dort BA, Zheng WY, Sundar V, Baysari MT. Optimizing clinical decision support alerts in electronic medical records: a systematic review of reported strategies adopted by hospitals. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2021; 28:177-183. [PMID: 33186438 PMCID: PMC7810441 DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocaa279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify and summarize the current internal governance processes adopted by hospitals, as reported in the literature, for selecting, optimizing, and evaluating clinical decision support (CDS) alerts in order to identify effective approaches. MATERIALS AND METHODS Databases (Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, CADTH, and WorldCat) were searched to identify relevant papers published from January 2010 to April 2020. All paper types published in English that reported governance processes for selecting and/or optimizing CDS alerts in hospitals were included. RESULTS Eight papers were included in the review. Seven papers focused specifically on medication-related CDS alerts. All papers described the use of a multidisciplinary committee to optimize alerts. Other strategies included the use of clinician feedback, alert data, literature and drug references, and a visual dashboard. Six of the 8 papers reported evaluations of their CDS alert modifications following the adoption of optimization strategies, and of these, 5 reported a reduction in alert rate. CONCLUSIONS A multidisciplinary committee, often in combination with other approaches, was the most frequent strategy reported by hospitals to optimize their CDS alerts. Due to the limited number of published processes, variation in system changes, and evaluation results, we were unable to compare the effectiveness of different strategies, although employing multiple strategies appears to be an effective approach for reducing CDS alert numbers. We recommend hospitals report on descriptions and evaluations of governance processes to enable identification of effective strategies for optimization of CDS alerts in hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany A Van Dort
- Discipline of Biomedical Informatics and Digital Health, School of Medical Sciences, Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Wu Yi Zheng
- Discipline of Biomedical Informatics and Digital Health, School of Medical Sciences, Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Vivek Sundar
- Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Melissa T Baysari
- Discipline of Biomedical Informatics and Digital Health, School of Medical Sciences, Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Wan PK, Satybaldy A, Huang L, Holtskog H, Nowostawski M. Reducing Alert Fatigue by Sharing Low-Level Alerts With Patients and Enhancing Collaborative Decision Making Using Blockchain Technology: Scoping Review and Proposed Framework (MedAlert). J Med Internet Res 2020; 22:e22013. [PMID: 33112253 PMCID: PMC7657729 DOI: 10.2196/22013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Clinical decision support (CDS) is a tool that helps clinicians in decision making by generating clinical alerts to supplement their previous knowledge and experience. However, CDS generates a high volume of irrelevant alerts, resulting in alert fatigue among clinicians. Alert fatigue is the mental state of alerts consuming too much time and mental energy, which often results in relevant alerts being overridden unjustifiably, along with clinically irrelevant ones. Consequently, clinicians become less responsive to important alerts, which opens the door to medication errors. Objective This study aims to explore how a blockchain-based solution can reduce alert fatigue through collaborative alert sharing in the health sector, thus improving overall health care quality for both patients and clinicians. Methods We have designed a 4-step approach to answer this research question. First, we identified five potential challenges based on the published literature through a scoping review. Second, a framework is designed to reduce alert fatigue by addressing the identified challenges with different digital components. Third, an evaluation is made by comparing MedAlert with other proposed solutions. Finally, the limitations and future work are also discussed. Results Of the 341 academic papers collected, 8 were selected and analyzed. MedAlert securely distributes low-level (nonlife-threatening) clinical alerts to patients, enabling a collaborative clinical decision. Among the solutions in our framework, Hyperledger (private permissioned blockchain) and BankID (federated digital identity management) have been selected to overcome challenges such as data integrity, user identity, and privacy issues. Conclusions MedAlert can reduce alert fatigue by attracting the attention of patients and clinicians, instead of solely reducing the total number of alerts. MedAlert offers other advantages, such as ensuring a higher degree of patient privacy and faster transaction times compared with other frameworks. This framework may not be suitable for elderly patients who are not technology savvy or in-patients. Future work in validating this framework based on real health care scenarios is needed to provide the performance evaluations of MedAlert and thus gain support for the better development of this idea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Kengfai Wan
- Department of Manufacturing and Civil Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Gjøvik, Norway
| | - Abylay Satybaldy
- Department of Computer Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Gjøvik, Norway
| | - Lizhen Huang
- Department of Manufacturing and Civil Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Gjøvik, Norway
| | - Halvor Holtskog
- Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Gjøvik, Norway
| | - Mariusz Nowostawski
- Department of Computer Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Gjøvik, Norway
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Yu FB, O'Brien A. Celebrating Clinical Informatics as a Specialty Practice. Appl Clin Inform 2020; 11:303-304. [PMID: 32323282 DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-3401812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Feliciano B Yu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
| | - Ann O'Brien
- Clinical Informatics Consultant, San Ramon, California, United States
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